The Wood Orchid
by TinPrincessOfEutopia
Summary: Begins after the original movie. China is entering a time of peace that they use to their advantage. Mulan recieves a request from the emperor along with a visit from Shang that will change everything. Ch. 3 up. Please review. Ch. 4 in progress.
1. The Dinner

The Wood Orchid

Chapter 1: The Dinner

Why? Why was her heart trying to escape from her chest? Why was a smile sewn onto her face which she could not unstitch? It was the evil man across the table that was at fault. It was he who was trying to steal her heart. He was the culprit who was attempting to runaway with object which she vowed she would protect and guard fiercely. Oh! Why him? Why was it a man whose very presence in a room could make even the most conservative lady blush? She shouldn't allow the liberty of dreaming a future with him or else she would be giving her heart away to someone who didn't even care, or at least he seemed that way. He was not the type to express his feelings; not his true feelings. It was just two hours ago that he had shown up unexpectedly. The awkward arrival with her helmet in tow foreshadowed the awkward interactments between him and her in the impending night to come; though it didn't turn out as bad as she expected. She had personally put it upon herself to assist her mother and grandmother to prepare the meal while her father and their guest discussed the recent going-ons of the Emperor's court and the military.

She wasn't much help in the kitchen and she thought she was doomed to be forever unskilled in the art of food. When she voiced this opinion aloud, she received an answer from her mother that surprised her.

"Don't be too harsh on yourself; you've improved tremendously."

That uplifted her spirits for a while until her grandmother jokingly made the comment that she wouldn't have to worry about cooking if she married to a wealthy man. While the two older women chuckled at the comment, she briefly remembered the time where she had humiliated herself at the matchmakers. She was snapped back to reality when her mother and grandmother headed through the door to the dining area with their arms full of food. She grabbed her share and followed them reluctantly.

They all took their seats, the guest of honor at her father's right, her mother to the left, her grandmother beside the guest, and she sat to her mother's right, across from the honorable guest. Her eyes stayed down, she did not dare look up in fear that he was looking at her. Her father began the prayers to the ancestors and Gods and the dinner began.

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_A/N: This is my first story, but I am not afraid of any critics. If this first chapter interests you at all, please be patient for following chapters. Future chapters are certainly going to be longer but they may also take a little longer. Thank you in advance for your patience._

**Disclaimer: I do not own the motion picture "Mulan" or any of its characters.**


	2. The Request

The Wood Orchid

Chapter 2: The Request

Her parents and Grandmother did a wonderful job conversing with their guest even as she and him were exchanging awkward glances during the whole meal. It was obvious that her father and the guest had been getting along splendidly as the dinner progressed. After the dinner was finished and proper compliments made, the guest was invited to stay the night due to the fact that it was "too cold and dark for such a notable and honorable man to travel" according to Grandmother. He looked reluctant to agree but eventually replied with a precise nod and a, "I thank you for your continuous hospitality." And with that the shy young woman ran to the garden as the guest was lead to the guestroom by her mother. Her grandmother retired right after dinner while her father read a scroll that had come in the earlier that afternoon, while waiting on her mother where they then retired after her mother completed her duties as lady of the household. The young lady lay in the garden under a beautiful magnolia tree staring at the stars through the branches. Her eyes had just started to droop lower and lower when a voice above her suddenly spoke.

"They say if you look up at stars long enough your future will unfold before you"

Startled, her eyes flashed opened and searched for the tantalizing familiar voice. When her eyes found the source of that voice, she found it leaning against the tree above her left shoulder with his eyes towards the sky. He had not yet changed from his traveling clothes, a tan long sleeved shirt, some pants of the same color. His eyes darted from one star to another before they floated down to her; it almost seemed that he was continuing his search for his future in the reflection of stars in her eyes. As much as she wished that to be true, she feared that it was a hopeful thought only created by her. He adverted his eyes from her back to the starry sky quietly and almost wistfully saying, "Five months ago, if I had been asked to look to the stars to view my future, I would have never even imagined that I would run into the likes of you, Mulan."

Mulan was taken aback by this comment, not really understanding whether or not this was a compliment or an insult. She finally finished the tedious task of gathering her thoughts, when she finally responded, "I must admit that I never would have thought that my life would have been like this. But I am happy about it. I have met good people such as you, Shang, and I have brought honor to my family in a way I had never imagined. Hopefully I can bring even more honor to the Fa family when I go to see the matchmaker again tomorrow." Shang had had a hint of a smile on his face which quickly evaporated of his face when he heard that last sentence and was replaced by a frown and a glare. He stood up strait and brought his hands down to his sides that had previously been crossed over his chest. "Please excuse me." His voice had gone as hard as stone. "I must leave to take care of something. Please thank your parents for their hospitality and I apologize for my sudden absence." As he said these words thrown harshly over his shoulder, he headed back to his room, presumably to pack and leave.

Mulan was left stumped and speechless as she watched him practically run towards the house. Within five minutes, Shang was galloping atop Púrén, his blazing white mare. He stopped for just a second to look back at Mulan with in an almost sorrowful way, and was going to say something but decided against it. And with that he furrowed his eyebrows and galloped into the shadows of the night.

The early pink-orange sunrise woke Mulan in her bed dreary-eyed. She had cried last night, but she was to proud to admit that she had cried because Shang had left her feeling rejected. She did not want to explore the reasons why it mattered to her whether or not Shang accepted her; it would just cause more complications in an already rather difficult life. She sat up in her bed and gazed out her window to view the sun beginning it's daily journey. Putting one stiff and calloused foot at a time on the floor, she glided over to the wash basin to wash her face. A few months ago, on this certain day, she would've hopped out of bed and stumbled to the wash basin while quickly getting dressed before jumping onto Khan and galloping off to the village to be squeezed into her bridal outfit. Today was different. Having been in the habit of already waking up with the sun, she now had time to prepare for the day at leisure. She had been studying the necessary materials to know for the matchmaker the past few days so there was no need to look over anything. She grabbed a kumquat on her way out the door with a fresh, simple dress and a few bathing oils in a basket. She headed to the part of the stream that ran through the Fa family property. It was a secluded spot that only she and her family knew about, where it was perfect to bathe and wash their clothing. She reached the spot a lot faster than she remembered it usually took. And as she looked around the tranquil area, the sycamores surrounding the spot seemed to be sparser and shorter, and the oak she remembered being so huge with a long branch hanging over the water seemed smaller. But all this was impossible to be true. In her heart she knew it was herself that had changed; not the trees.

She shrugged off her night-clothes after placing the basket of clothes and oils closer to the water. The gently flowing stream embraced her as she sunk into its waters. She sat on a rock underneath the surface with her back against the stream allowing it to envelop her with her head bent forward floating on top of the stream with her hair moving in front of her face. She sat there for awhile, allowing the stream to carry some of her stressed and troubled thoughts temporarily. Then after using a rag to bathe herself she reluctantly climbed out of the stream to rub the herbal oils on her skin. This was when she remembered exactly why she _was_ putting on the oils and clothes. She sighed as she realized that today would mean there was no chance for her and Sh- what was she thinking? There wasn't any chance for that anyways. Plus he didn't even feel the same.

Her walk back to the house with the basket in her hand seemed longer than it was as her thoughts rolled around in her mind demanding attention. She barely noticed when she arrived much less the dark clouds gathering above. She went into her room sat the basket down and started to fill a satchel with her bridal outfit. She never even got the chance to put the first thing into it because her mother came in with a worried look on her face. In a quiet voice she told Mulan, "There is a man here with a message for you". Her mother's tightened; almost scared face didn't tell Mulan anything else. She followed her mother into the courtyard to receive the message. The messenger sat on his chestnut steed and looked kind of pathetic next to the tall white mare next to him. She knew the horse, but couldn't see the rider. But when they got closer she saw him cleaning Púrén's hooves. The messenger caught her attention before he looked up and saw her too. "Fa Mulan, I have a letter for you in which after reading it you must travel to the capital. It is fortunate that I came across the honorable Li Shang on my way here, or else you'd have to travel with me to deliver another message and then head to the capital. Safe travels." And with that, he was off.

She turned her attention to Shang and saw his eyes full of sorrow before he realized her eyes were on him; that's when they turned into lifeless, unfeeling stones. Her parents left after a moment of silence to head inside as the first telltale droplets of water started to fall. "You will read the message before heading inside to pack. You have an hour. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to the capital. I will wait here until you're ready."

"Yes sir." Were the stiff words out of her mouth as she turned on her heel to head indoors. Halfway on her way back to the main house, the rain started pouring down making the dirt into mud. It was a cold sort of rain that told of the harsh winter to come. _Good. He can stay there the full hour for all I care. _When she stepped into the house and closed the door, she was faced with the anxious faces of her parents and grandmother. She knew what they needed to know. She ripped open the scroll after noticing the emperor's golden dragon seal. After reading the scroll to herself she handed the scroll to her father and headed to her room to pack. Her thoughts that were tumbling in her head on her way up to the house from the stream about the matchmaker now transformed into thoughts of the near future and far future.

Her parents weren't given a lot of answers from the scroll that simply and politely read:

_My dear Fa Mulan the Savior of the Noble Nation of China,_

_I would like to request your presence at the capital Xian for a discussion that concerns you. Please travel here as soon as you can. Your presence is greatly anticipated._

_Signed,_

_The Gods Child and Father of China, Golden Dragon of the East, the Emperor of the Gods Chosen People_

_

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__A/N: __A few points I want to cover quickly:_

_The chapter is still short. Sorry! I'll try to get better!_

_Mushu will not be present in this story. I wanted to give this story a more realistic and serious tone. I apologize to Mushu fans (which I am too, btw). I think I just lost a few readers…_

_I'm making up military positions. _

_Shout-out to I-Love-Mulan13. Go read her fantastic story "The Hidden Truth"._

_Thanks to theBurgundyRose who pointed out a "minor" detail. It was a "general" thing. - you might not understand the "quotation" thing but I'm laughing_

_**THANK YOU TO ALL THE REVIEWERS! YOUR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL, AND ENCOURAGING!**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own the motion picture "Mulan" or any of its characters.**


	3. The Journey

The Wood Orchid

Chapter 3: The Journey

Cold, forceful wind seemed to sneak through their heavy traveling cloaks as it sadistically forced frigid water droplets to attack their faces even as they attempted to ward off the watery attack by turning their heads down. Their pace was a slow one due to the wind and the rain attempting to keep them from moving forward. They rode side by side. They did not look up, they did not talk, they just rode north, seemingly oblivious to anything besides moving forward. Mulan's appearance was deceivingly calm; yet again she was lost in thought trying to analyze the situation. There wasn't anything else to do while guiding Khan through the mud besides thinking about the events of the day. It had been a long day; one moment she's getting ready to meet the matchmaker to decide her future, the next she's galloping off to the capitol to learn an unknown future. She knew the future husband matchmaker would give her would be a stable and comfortable one, due to the Emperor's blessing bestowed upon her, but it would most likely not contain the love she desired. If her supposed husband was kind to her she would grow to love him of course but it would not be the silent flame that she desired.

Her thoughts then traveled with her eyes to the corners of her eyes where a shadowed man rode a few feet from her with a stoic, frozen face. She wondered why the man who had lead her into battle and a hero of China had not yet been married off to a noble family's beautiful daughter. In fact, besides the little knowledge she had learned about his father she learned during the war was all she knew about his personal life. Why had she ever thought they were friends? He was simply a captain attempting to stay in good relations with the soldier who had assisted him in the gain of his fame and honor. She did not blame him for this, though she could not deny she felt a little bitter about it. It was not her place to say anything so she would keep up the façade of friendship for his benefit; he deserved at least that much.

When the sun began to disappear on the horizon, they went to the side of the path that snaked through the forest to make camp. They had not come across another village since they left her village so there was no where better to settle than under the tall oaks of the looming forest surrounding them. As Mulan leaped down from her horse, mud squished around her feet threatening to enter her boots. She tied Khan down for the night before turning to glance at Shang. Her former captain was still mounted on his steed tight-lipped, with his eyes blankly set towards his hands on the horn of the saddle. As she studied him further, his blue tinted lips and quiet shivering became apparent to her. _What had happened to him that caused him to be in this state?_ Even his mare seemed worse for wear. It then came to her recollection that he had left the night before and not arrived till morning. She had assumed he had found an inn to stay at, though it now seemed that he had ridden the night through maybe stopping here and there for little, if any, rest. She forgot all else and rushed to his side. Later she would argue with herself that the only reason she did that was because he was her superior and it would reflect badly on her and tarnish her honor if they arrived at the capital with him at death's door from sickness.

His shivering only increased as she assisted him down Púrén. The man who had been endowed astounding agility and coordination now stumbled off his horse and temporarily placed all his weight onto Mulan who was not expecting such a weight, thus they found themselves on the ground with him on top of her, their faces only an inch away, rain dripping from him to her. He slurred out, "My apologies" before attempting to stand up, but finding he couldn't, he rolled off onto his back beside her. With a flushed face she sprang up to her feet feeling the wind hit the back of her cloak damp from the rain water. She took one breath to calm down from the confusion of what had just occurred before assisting a confused looking man to his feet and walking him over to a tree to sit. She quickly assembled a place for a fire and discovered a few semi-dry branches in the great oak that was protecting them from the worst of the storm. Once she got a solid flame started safely out of the wind she led the confused Shang over to the fire. She dug through both their saddle bags and found three extra blankets to wrap around him, some green tea, and some sugar cane for him to chew. She may not know how to cook but she certainly knew how to survive. After pulling her cloak tighter she sat down a few inches from the silent, shivering Shang. She started boiling water for brewing tea in the small travel pot every soldier carried. The water was boiling and the long night of looking after Shang began.

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The first light of sunrise hit her eyes like a blessing from the gods themselves. She had managed to successfully keep Shang from falling asleep in his dangerous condition all night and stay awake herself, though the temptation of sleep did not go unnoticed by her body.

"We must ride hard to the next village for an inn to rest a night. We are still two days ride from the capital. The nearest village is half a day's journey. The emperor will allow us to be half a day late given the situation."

Her eyes turned to see his face as he spoke, his eyes turned lightly toward her, his chin hinting upwards in an almost defiant manner. His eyes were more lucid than the previous night yet now carried bags under them to indicate his fatigue. She was sure her eyes also were shadowed with fatigue and she could barely stop them from closing them altogether. She simply nodded at his comment before gathering her things just as he began to. _"What? No thank you?"_ she complained silently in her head.

They left no trace that they had been there as they left the campsite. They still rode in silence but this time it was almost a more comfortable silence. They had reverted back to their comradeship. She did not mind this change, it was comfortable and familiar. He was the captain and she was the soldier following him.

The path in front of them was a fairly well traveled road so it was relatively clear. The winter had frozen the plants from growing over the path. Now that spring was approaching, merchants and travelers would be treading down the road toward their destination crunching over frozen ground to bring sound and life back to the quiet forest. Mulan looked around at the trees sparkling with rain water. The ground was beginning to reveal green plants reaching up towards the sky for light and air, attempting to prove their worth in the world. She could imagine the bare, brown-black trees colorfully decorated by spring with green leaves and colorful fruits and flower; the ground full of lively green grass that tempted everyone with a warm afternoon nap.

She could see a traveling family, little children, running along the path, laughing and playing, chasing rabbits, hiding in bushes, never going far from the path do that the unknowns of the forest wouldn't capture them. _She could see a young boy running though the trees stopping & turning back to look at her. His bright face contained his father's strong chin and his mother's soft cheeks, but his eyes were all his own. Strength and ferocity calmed by sincerity and kindness could be seen behind the mischievous glow of his eyes. He gave her a gentler smile before running off again, laughing_. Her vision died away and the echo of laughter in her head faded and the lush green life transformed back into the hard, cold forest, The soft smile on her lips remained as she re-lived the vision in her mind. In the corner of her eye she sensed something. When she turned her head, Shang was looking at her with a smirk on his face and he flicked his eyes suggestively in front of the horses. She followed his gaze. There was a large encircled meadow in front of them before the barrage of trees began again in about one-quarter mile. The noon-sun above flaunted the meadows early vitality. Grass was already covering the ground making one almost forget about the biting cold surrounding them. She turned back and grinned at him understandingly before kicking Khan into a gallop. Shang quickly followed, kicking Púrén into a gallop also. The sound of hooves hitting the hardened winter ground filled the meadow as white and black blurs raced across the meadow toward the other side. The race was even the whole way until the end when Khan edged out ahead at the last second to take the lead. He came to a stop at the tree line when Púrén paused right next to him. All four were breathing heavily, Shang more so still recovering from his sickness. Shang and Mulan grinned at each other their eyes locked on each others in the pure reckless joy of the moment. Mulan laughed and followed Shang as he started toward the path once more, back to business as usual, though a lighter feeling was in the air. They started again on their path in a happier mood.

"I win again! This seems to happen a lot. I'm starting to believe you're letting me win on purpose."

"I truly wish that was the truth, but I do not think lighting itself could beat your horse."

She teasingly retorted with, "Retreating to excuses I see, my fearless Captain. What's next? Saying the wind slowed you down?"

He was not about to let her win this battle though. "There are many facts about that statement that are false, my dear lady", she grimaced at the name, "For one, is that what I said was not an excuse but a truth. Secondly, is that I am not "Captain" anymore."

She scowled curiously at this. "Why are you not Captain anymore? How can that be?"

He smiled at her like he knew a secret, which essentially he did. "It would be hard to be in two places at once. Trying to fulfill my duties as a captain would get in the way of being the Minor General of Xian…"

This whole time they had been conversing with their eyes on the path watching where their horses tread on the bumpier part of the road. When he said that though, she pulled Khan to a halt to get a better look at him and say "Since when? That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Where's the usual sarcastic comment" he said with a smirk continuing to ride forward.

"Oh, I just thought I'd be nice to a friend for once", she quickly retorted before realizing what she had said. She started back into a walk and turned her head down as quickly as she could.

It was his turn to look at her. "Thank you", he said gently almost seeming to mean more than he said. They remained silent for the rest of the day unless they discussed the journey. Once again in the familiar silence, Mulan lost herself in her thoughts of what the future held for her. Was she going to continue in the army? Was she going to be married away to some unknown man? Or was she to become an old maid, never to be married? These were the thoughts that kept her quiet throughout the day, and she wondered what thoughts were keeping Shang quiet. The sun had almost reached the horizon when Púrén reared back suddenly, almost throwing Shang off. Púrén backed away from whatever had spooked her. In front of her curled a cobra, its head fanned out to intimidate. It was a big cobra, an old cobra. It hissed at the frightened mare, its tongue flickering in and out. Shang had just some-what calmed Púrén when Mulan felt Khan shift under her. Before she gathered on what he was doing, he galloped over to the snake defensively standing protectively between it and Púrén. He reared also, Mulan more prepared but still out of control. His hooves came hurtling down onto the snake as it striked at him, its last effort before he was trampled. Mulan immediately looked over to Shang and saw him tending to his distressed horse, attempting to calm it. She turned her head back to her own steed who was breathing heavily. Something wasn't right. His eyes were wide and frozen and he was shivering a little. She dismounted and headed to his front hooves, afraid of what she was pretty sure she'd find. Two streaks of blood ran down his front left leg visible on his white sock, the dead cobra's revenge. She was at a loss for words, she had no idea what to do.

"Sh-Shang? Can y-you come here real quick? Khan's b-been bit."

He looked up from a relatively calmed mare and saw the panic on Mulan's face. He quickly tied the still shaken Púrén to the nearest strong branch before rushing to Mulan's side at Khan's hoof. The horse was rather calm for just being bitten by a deadly snake. Shang quickly examined the wound, and then went over to where the snake had been pummeled. He lifted up the head and searched the mouth, not satisfied with that, he looked around the area. He almost chuckled.

"There's nothing to worry about. He's injured yes, but thankfully the snake did not bite him. The marks on his leg are too far apart to have been the snakes fangs ."

She was relieved to hear that and to see with her own eyes, he spoke the truth. She felt foolish for not realizing that before he did. "If it wasn't the snake then, what was it?"

"There is bush over here with two sharp, bloody branches. When he must of hurt himself when he came down on the cobra. It'll heal quickly but it's best not to ride him till we arrive at the village where he can recoporate overnight. He and I both need the rest and I suspect you do too after the long night last night." They continued down the path they were taking now walking the horses behind them.

"I was starting to wonder if you had remembered anything from last night; you were rather delusional." She regretted her word choice, but the point was made.

His face contorted in the slightest manner as if it pained him to say the words, "Thank you for your assistance" He was a very proud man.

She let out a short laugh as she watched him lay down his pride to utter out a single thanks. She was about to tease him and attempt to get another glimpse of his rare smile, when Shang paused in his tracks while for the second time that day, he had noticed something before she did. It was the village Shānyáng. It was the last stop before the final leg of their journey to the capital.

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_**I ALLOW ALL REVIWERS, EVEN PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT. **_

_A/N: Big thanks to all reviewers! Especially my 10th reviewer I-love-Mulan13 (read her fantastic story-in-progress "The hidden truth") who got my butt in gear to finish the third chapter! Please know that I take FOREVER to load a new chapter because 1) I'm a busy person & 2) I like to focus on the quality of my writing._

**Disclaimer: I do not own the motion picture "Mulan" or any of its characters.**


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